Family says Seattle Public Schools ignored threats, slurs and Swastikas targeting Jewish student
Nov 21, 2025, 12:17 PM
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
A Seattle family alleges Seattle Public Schools failed to protect their daughter from escalating antisemitic harassment at Nathan Hale High School, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.
The complaint, filed by the parents of a student identified as M.K.L., outlines nearly a full school year of threats, slurs, vandalism and what the family describes as repeated pleas for help that were ignored or inadequately addressed by school administrators.
The lawsuit names Seattle Public Schools, Nathan Hale High School and then-principal Dr. William Jackson as defendants.
The complaint had been filed previously in June, in King County Superior Court, where the family asked for the lawsuit to dismissed without prejudice.
KIRO 7 News has reached out to Seattle Public Schools for comment on the new suit.
According to the lawsuit, the freshman student—who is Jewish and the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors—had been open about her identity at school, wearing a Star of David necklace and participating in the Jewish Student Union.
After the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, classmates allegedly began directing antisemitic slurs at her and telling her they wished Hitler had “finished the job.”
The complaint states the student reported multiple incidents of Swastikas appearing on desks, classrooms, and even the softball dugout where she was the only Jewish player.
Her family says no investigation or disciplinary action followed any of the reports.
Tensions heightened in early November 2023 when the school approved student-made flyers promoting a walkout supporting the “Free Palestine” movement.
In the days before the walkout, students allegedly threatened to attack the girl if she wore Jewish-related clothing and accused her of being Islamophobic.
One student screamed at her so closely she spit on her, the complaint says.
Her mother emailed then-principal Jackson twice the day before the walkout expressing concerns that her daughter would be harmed.
The lawsuit says Jackson did not address those concerns, and the family kept their daughter home that day.
The complaint argues school officials repeatedly failed to follow district policies requiring investigations into harassment, discrimination and threats.
It states the family met with Jackson, who acknowledged knowing about the harassment, and told them he would review security footage and urged the student to report further incidents directly to him.
According to the lawsuit, no action was ever taken.
The lawsuit compares this response to the district’s quick actions when a Muslim student reported a joke that offended Muslim students in September 2023.
In that case, the district held trainings, addressed the incident in an assembly and suspended at least one student, the complaint notes.
On May 22, 2024, events escalated into what the family describes as the most frightening moment of the school year.
Following an argument earlier in the day, about 20 students gathered outside the student’s final class of the afternoon, allegedly yelling slurs and demanding she come out.
Her teacher shut and locked the classroom door, keeping her inside while the group pounded on the door.
Security eventually escorted her to the office.
Her parents say they were terrified after receiving text messages and phone calls from their daughter pleading for help.
According to the lawsuit, the district never called law enforcement—even though district policy requires it when a student’s physical safety is in immediate danger.
After the incident, the complaint states that a school administrator told the family the school could not provide escorts from class to class beyond one day and suggested the student avoid public areas during lunch.
The family withdrew their daughter, who missed the final month of the school year.
She was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the filing.
Her parents say they have incurred costs for mental-health treatment, lost wages and expenses associated with moving her to a different district.
The complaint also lists more than a dozen other antisemitic incidents reported across Seattle schools between 2022 and 2025—from Swastikas carved into lockers to students performing Nazi salutes—arguing the district has a pattern of failing to address them.
The family is suing under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the Equal Protection Clause and multiple state laws, alleging the district denied the student equal access to education and failed to follow its own harassment policies.
They seek compensatory damages, punitive damages against the former principal, and injunctive orders requiring the district to address antisemitism.
